It is generally a common practice to drape a tarp/tarpaulin or similar flexible cover over a load placed, for example, on a flatbed truck or on a railroad car to protect the load during transportation from external elements such as road debris, weather conditions, temperature changes and the like. Tarping of flatbed trucks generally requires the driver to position himself/herself on top of an outbound load in order to roll-out and position the tarps. In many cases, the load is not even on the flatbed and when combined with the height of up to 8 feet above the trailer surface, the work conditions present opportunities for life threatening falls and injuries. The use of tarp raising or hoisting system is recognized as a way to prevent the need for working on top of the load. The prior art tarping systems available in the market are stationary in the sense that a structure has a hoist device attached to it and the structure cannot be moved. While the stationary tarping stations are effective in assisting with the tarping of a load on the flatbeds, its use is limited to the location of the station. During inclement weather the truck would need to be tarped inside, prior to exiting the building. If the station is located outside, then it is of no value in inclement weather. Since most facilities have multiple shipping bays, a tarping station would need to be added to each bay. The building's structure in most facilities is suited for carrying the original roof load and is not designed for additional attachments, especially hoists. Thus, considerable structural additions are needed to add tarping stations within a facility.
Therefore, there is a need for a system and method that permits placing a tarp over a bulky object, such as a load on a flatbed truck, that would eliminate the need for manual labor to climb on the flatbed of the truck and it is also safe, quick and can be used inside or outside of a building and does not require a substantial amount of labor.